Deepti Naval is a renowned Indian film actor, director, writer, painter, and photographer. Born in India, she moved to the United States for her education, studying Painting, English, and Psychology at the City University of New York and receiving her Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Hunter College in Manhattan. She further pursued her interest in American Theater, Photography, and Astronomy.
Deepti made her debut in the Indian film industry in 1980 with the film Ek Baar Phir, winning her first Best Actor award. She has since appeared in over 90 films, earning a distinct niche for herself in the industry. Some of her notable films include Kamla, Ankahi, Main Zinda Hoon, Panchvati, Leela, Freaky Chakra, Didi, Firaaq, and more recently, Memories in March, Listen Amaya, Boy With the Top Knot, Lion, NH-10, and Goldfish.
As a director, Deepti made her debut with the Netflix film Do Paise Ki Dhoop Chaar Aane Ki Baarish, which won the Best Screenplay award at the New York Film Festival. She also wrote and directed Thodasa Aasmaan, a women-centric TV serial, and produced a travel show called The Path Less Travelled.
Deepti is also a writer, with four books to her credit. Her first collection of poems, Lamha Lamha, was published in 1981. Her second book, Black Wind and Other Poems, was published in 2004. The Mad Tibetan: Stories From Then and Now, published in 2011, showcased her skill as a storyteller. Her recently published memoir, A Country Called Childhood, has received critical acclaim.
As a painter, Deepti's knife work with oil on canvas is expressionistic, particularly her landscapes, figures, self-portraits, and sketches. Her paintings are mostly self-portraits, exploring different spheres through self. Her landscapes and Kumaon series capture her travels.
Deepti was born to Uday Chandra Naval, a professor of English at Lehman College, City University of New York, and Himadri Gangahar, a painter born in Burma. She has an older sister, Smiti Khanna, a biochemist, and a younger brother, Rohit Naval, a technology product designer. Her nephew, Sanaj Naval, starred in her debut film as director and is set to become a full-time actor.
Deepti has received numerous awards for her work, including the Best Actress Filmworld Award for Ek Baar Phir, the Best Actress Award for Leela at the Karachi Int'l Film Festival, and the Best Screenplay Award for Do Paise Ki Dhoop Chaar Aane Ki Baarish at the New York Indian Film Festival.
